| Festuca abyssinica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Festuca |
| Species: | F. abyssinica |
| Binomial name | |
| Festuca abyssinica A.Rich. | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Festuca abyssinica is a species ofgrass which is endemic toAfrica.
The plant isperennial andcaespitose with 15–60 centimetres (5.9–23.6 in) longculms. Theligule is 0.5–1 millimetre (0.020–0.039 in) long and is going around the eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades arefiliform and are 3–25 centimetres (1.2–9.8 in) long and 1–3 millimetres (0.039–0.118 in) wide. Thepanicle is contracted, linear,inflorescenced and 8–20 centimetres (3.1–7.9 in) long.Spikelets are lanceolate, ovate, solitary, 6.5–12 millimetres (0.26–0.47 in) long, and havepedicelled fertile spikelets that carry 2–6 fertileflorets which have a diminished apex. It also has a hairycallus and scaberulouspalea keels.[2]
Theglumes are lanceolate, membranous, and keelless, have acute apexes, with the only difference being in size. The upper one is 5.5–8.5 millimetres (0.22–0.33 in) long while the other one is ovate and is 6–10 millimetres (0.24–0.39 in) long. Fertilelemma is 6.5–9.5 millimetres (0.26–0.37 in) long and is also chartaceous, elliptic and keelless with scaberulous surface. Lemma itself is muticous with acute apex.Flowers have a hairyovary and threestamens that are 2–2.5 millimetres (0.079–0.098 in) long. Thefruits arecaryopses with an additionalpericarp, which just like flowers is hairy as well.Hilum is linear.[2]
Festuca abyssinica grows in mountain grasslands, generally in moist and often peaty soils.[3]
It ranges along the mountains of eastern Africa, from Ethiopia through Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to eastern Zimbabwe, and in theTibesti Mountains of Chad, theCameroon Highlands ofCameroon,Bioko, and the highlands ofAngola.[3][1]